Man allegedly pulled knife on hospital security guards after being asked to wear face mask
FARMINGTON NM Dec 8 2020 An Aztec man is accused of threatening three hospital security guards with a knife after being asked to wear a face mask inside the hospital.
James Clouse, 57, allegedly threatened three guards at San Juan Regional Medical Center with a knife on Nov. 30, according to court documents.
The defendant is charged with three, third-degree felony counts of aggravated assault on a healthcare worker.
Clouse did not have legal representation on the afternoon of Dec. 4.
The Farmington Police Department was dispatched around 6:58 p.m. on Nov. 30 to San Juan Regional Medical Center on reports of a man who threatened security guards with a knife.
Clouse was approached by a guard to put on a face mask or leave the hospital. The defendant allegedly became angry, telling the guard “let’s go” as if Clouse was trying to fight him, according to a court document. Two more guards were called and one of them noticed Clouse had a knife.
The defendant allegedly flipped the blade of the knife out and told the three guards “let’s go then,” according to court documents.
Officers arrived on scene and the guards pointed to Clouse, walking in a nearby traffic intersection. A police K9 was deployed as a safety precaution.
Clouse was ordered to lie down but he told the officers he could not lay down and appeared to be in pain, the document stated. The defendant was discharged against doctor’s advice before the alleged incident. Clouse was taken into custody after he fell to the ground.
The defendant has a felony aggravated assault conviction from 2004, according to court records. He was booked in the early morning hours of Dec. 1 in the San Juan County Adult Detention Center and released on Dec. 3.
Clouse’s preliminary hearing is set for the morning of Dec. 16 in Farmington Magistrate Court.
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